Self starter



Feb. 24, 1931. R. BEMFIELD lfj793459 SELF STARTER A Filed Aug. 12, 1929 wif/wr WW i i .RONALD BEFIELD 0F Cusani?, ,LB-Eiz-ra-cirsiD- usEIrJr fsfrri'mm15p` l application lfue@ August 12,:'5191'2/9.v seria" miss-l5! l *l My invention relates to improvementsin shaft 5,. thespurjrevolving a "minimum self starters for automobile and other inter?v amount topengage'the .teeth of y12 under thevv nal combustion engines, and the object of my influenceu of compressed 'spring 8." The "cor-l invention is to provide a simple device for rect number ofpturnsjof cable 9 laround shaft such purposes and one in which the .possi- 5 assures thefretentionlof s'purlv with `gear 5 5 vv bilityof its becoming inoperative is re l2."- Cable 9ac'ts as a'shocli-absorber inter? duced to a' minimum; c t mediate thefdriving and driven'Ino'toi'sgitsV I attain Vthese objects by the mechanism function as such being tof gradually grip the illustra-ted in` the accompanying drawings, revolving shaft' bymeansof the leverage iofin'whichatits winding endandhthegfact thatv it is an-V 60 j 1 shows a vside view of the devicein Y chor d to an independent element of the appart section. A y v paratus; 'at its opposite end. Vlnfits inoperiFig. 2 shows an end view of the same. ative position cable Y 9 f is deileXedloosely Similar numbers refer to similar parts around. shaft 5 and suiicient interval isvalf throughout the several views. Vvlowed during the winding Lupa action toab-" 65.

1 is a cylinder closed at one end with theV sorb anypossibleshocl; on V'the motor;l as the f bearing flange 2 andV is rigidlyV mounted on armature gains speed! andalsof on the teeth said flange by set lscrews 3; Pinion spurroflspurwheellifandfgear wheel 12. liever wheel i is rigidly attached'to'tlange 2 on its 1Q is forliedat its lower end'to saddle over 0V outer falce and these bear slidably on shaft shaft-band ismounted on fulcruni bracket 70 5,"said shaft being the extended end of arma- 13 attached to principaly supporting 4,bracket ture sha-ft of electric driving prime-mover 114k,on whichbracket` 14 is also mounted the 6, and projects into cylinder 1 through its inotortand all other starter mechanism declosed end and terminates at the open end of scribed', with the exception of gear wheel 12. 5 cylinder 1 with a detachable collar 7 securely 15'V is a. short metal safety strip attached tc iitted and pinned to said shaft 5 as shown by one endv of. cable 9Y and yintermediate the collar pin or bolt 5a. Helical compression cable and flange 7 beinginserted to localize spring-8 has one end attached to the inside a possible overload breakdown of the cable -face of collar 7 at a point towards vthe or a possible breakdown due tobaclrlire. 0n periphery of said collar. This spring conrelease of pressureon lever1()V electric cur- 'S0 centrically encloses that'portion of shaft 5 rentis ,disconnecte'd,V spur wheel 4i is diseninside the cylinder and has its other end seg'afgedfrom gear wheel 12by the tension of curely afiiXed to the interior face of flange 2. spring 11 and at .the same time spring 8 une Flexible steel woven cable 9 concentrically coils' andassists and assures the release of encloses shaft 5 within cylinder 1 Aand has Vcable 9y from shaft 5.- lV hen the engine one end securely attached to interior face of 'Starts tov function, throughthe medium of collar 7, the other end being aiiixed to the inspuri engaging geargwh'eel 12 and since spur terior face of flange 2 and vis itself conceni"y 4 is greaterv in diameter than gea-r Vwheel 12, .trically enclosed within helical springv 8. k spur flyrwill accelerate over vshaft in speed 40 rlhe object of such an arrangement of spring resultingin the unwinding of cable 9 and alm and cable is that as the bell-crank starter lowing spring Sto uncoil to normal, which lever 10 is depressed against the retaining effect will rotate shaft 5 up to the speed of l spring 11, compression spring 8, reacting 'spur4`untilsuch time as spur't is released against collar 7 forces spur pinion i into froml gear wheel12 by the'actionof lever 10. 1?5 meshwith teeth of fly-wheel ring gear 12 Arrow in Fig. iindicates direction of applied connected directly or'otherwise with the enpressure for starting; the arrow in Fig. 2 ingine to be'started, or into such a position dicates direction of rotation of ymotor shaft. that the teeth will slip into mesh so soon as I am aware that prior to my invention electric current is subsequently applied to starterdevices have been invented With spur 59 the starting motor and cable 9 gripsaround wheels travelling on threaded shafts and with housing to contain the various elements of `Which these devices-consist, but what I do claim' as my invention and desire'to `secure by Letters Patent is 1 Y l. The combination in a self starter of a motor driven shaft With a collar fixed' thereto, a combined flange and spur Wheel running free on said shaft andconnected to said fixed flangeby a flexible lshock-absorbing cable en- .closing said shaft, a large diameter helical spring enclosing-said shaftiand spiral 'cablefjj lattached in similar manner to said free running flange and combined spur Wheel -atone ment from a gear on theengine to bestarted, all; as described.

f' 2. The combination in a self starter of a -l motor driven shaft With a collar fixed thereto,

a combinedflange and spurvheel'running free on said shaft and connected to said fixed flange by a flexible. shock-absorbing cable enclosing said shaft, a large diameter helical spring'enclosing said vshaft and spiral cable y attached inv similar manner to said free running flange andQconibined spur Wheel at one of its ends and to fixed collar at its opposite end, `a bell-crank forked lever to regulate the y v lengthwise travel of the spur Wheelon its .Y

shaft for engagement With anddisengagef ment from a gear on theengineftobe started` Y A 4 ainetal safety strip interposed between said flexible cable and one of its end connections and of lesser tensile strength than said flexible cable. i a Y 3. The combination in la self starter'of a motor driven shaft With a collar fixed thereto,

a combined flange and spur Wheel running t free on said shaft andvconnecte'd to said fixed flange by -a flexible shock-absorbing cable enclosing said shaft,` a large diameter .helical spring enclosing said shaft Vand spiral cable attached in similar mannerito vsaid freev run-` ning flange and combinedrspur Wheel atone of its ends and to the fixed ycollar at its oppov site end, a bell-crankforked lever to'regnlate the lengthwise travel of the spur Wheelon its shaft for engagement with and disengagement from a gear on the engine to be started, a metal safety strip interposedl between said 1 flexiblecable and one ofits end connections f and of lesser tensile strength than saidflexible cable, a cylindrical housing bearing on said shaft to contain the spring and tension cable parts o f this device, all as described and set forth in the specihcation and drawings. v

RONALD BENEIELD. 

